Contador wins 2009 Tour de France; Cavendish wins six stages - Wikinews, the free news source Contador wins 2009 Tour de France; Cavendish wins six stages From Wikinews, the free news source you can write! This is the stable version , checked on 6 August 2009. Template/file changes await review. Accuracy Alberto Contador at the time trial of the 2007 Tour which he also won. Image: Nicolas Ridoin. Spaniard Alberto Contador of team Astana has won the 2009 Tour de France after crossing the line in a final time of 85:48:35 for the 21-stage grand tour. Andy Schleck from Luxembourg came in second place. Schleck, riding for Team Saxo Bank also won the maillot blanc for the young riders' classification. American Lance Armstrong of Astana claimed the final podium spot, 5:24 behind Contador. The seven-time Tour-winner returned from retirement after winning the 2005 Tour de France .

Course of the 2009 Tour Winning the final stage at Champs-Élysées in Paris , France , was Mark Cavendish in a time of 4:02:18. The British cyclist won six stages this year, topping his achievement of four stage wins last year. The points classification was won by Thor Hushovd of Norway with 280. The Cervélo TestTeam rider finished ahead of Team Columbia-HTC 's Cavendish, despite the latter's multiple stage wins. The King of the Mountains winner is Italian Franco Pellizotti , riding for Liquigas , who also got the additional honor of being the most aggressive rider. Team Astana, with two men on the podium, won the team classification. Have an opinion on this story? Post it!

Sources Mark Cavendish - 6 2009 Tour De France Stage Wins Mark Cavendish - 6 Tour De France Stage Wins Image: © 2009 theirEarth.com Britain's Mark Cavendish Won Six Stages At 2009 Tour De France PARIS, FRANCE - 23-year old Mark Cavendish of the United Kingdom achieved exceptional results in last month's 2009 Tour De France, winning six stage races, including the final stage 21 race that finished at the Champs Elysées in Paris. theirEarth took this photo of Mark Cavendish at the Opening Ceremonies of the 2009 Tour De France in Monaco. Mark Cavendish won the final 2009 Tour De France stage race from Montereau Fault Yonne to Paris in 4 hours 2 min 18 seconds. He, along with his Columbia-Highroad team-mate, Mark Renshaw, broke away from the other riders near the finish to score a first and second respectively.

Spain's Alberto Contador from the Astana cycling team was the overall winner of the Tour De France, followed by Andy Schleck (Luxembourg / Saxo Bank Team) in second, and Lance Armstrong (United States / Astana Team) in third. Cavendish started his quest for success in competitive cycling in 1995 at the age of nine, when he and his younger brother Andy joined the cycling league at the National Sports Centre near their home town of Douglas, Isle of Man. At the start Mark had great difficulty and he was finishing last in every junior event, but one year later he convinced his parents to upgrade his bicycle to one with gears and the tables were turned. Mark's determination to win translated itself into victories. A first win at an event organised by British Cycling in Manchester, helped Mark join the list of talent for the national federation in the United Kingdom. Cavendish's cycling speed brought him under the coaching of Rod Ellingworth, who headed up the under-23 academy for British Cycling. In the 2008 Tour De France, Mark Cavendish also performed well, and he gained international attention with four stage wins.

This year he definitely raised his game with a tally of six stage wins for 2009. Cavendish is one of the fastest sprinters in the world in Tour-type race events, and few can find the final energy that he can to peddle to victory at the finish in a low elevation or short distance event. When not impressing the world with his cycling ability, Mark enjoys spending time with his fiancée Melissa, and with his impressive performance at this year's Tour he's become quite a famous personality around Britain. - The all-time list of British pro winners - Cycling Weekly The all-time list of British pro winners TAGS: Bradley Wiggins Mark Cavendish It’s a question that sparks heated debate whenever it is asked. Who is Britain’s greatest male professional road racer of all time? For some it is a no-brainer. Bradley Wiggins . Britain’s first Tour de France champion and winner of Paris-Nice, Criterium du Dauphine, Tour of Romandy and stages of the Tour and Giro d’Italia. Or Tom Simpson.

World champion and winner of three of the five one-day monuments of professional cycling – Milan-San Remo, the Tour of Flanders and the Tour of Lombardy. What about Barry Hoban? Eight Tour de France stage wins and the Ghent-Wevelgem classic is an impressive record. But in terms of the number of wins, Mark Cavendish has a watertight case. When the Manxman won stage two of the 2009 Tour de France, he jumped past Chris Boardman in our table, with an incredible tally of wins since turning professional in 2007. Cavendish is, in terms of wins, Britain’s most successful pro rider in history. >>> See Cycling Weekly’s all-time ranking of British pro riders CYCLING WEEKLY’S BEST OF BRITISH Who are the most prolific British male professional riders of all time? Here’s our league table of the most successful riders, based purely on the number of wins in top international professional races. What we have included All international one-day and stage races, including overall classifications – including races that no longer exist.

The Kellogg’s Tour, PruTour and Tour of Britain What we have not included Minor European races Pro-am races, such as the Milk Race and Peace Race Criteriums, kermesse races or exhibition races Team time trials or two-up time trials Domestic events in the USA Other classifications, such as king of the mountains or points competition titles Where’s Max Sciandri? Surely he won enough races? The Derby-born rider rode much of his career as an Italian. He declared for Great Britain in 1995, in order to ride the Olympic Games in Atlanta the following year.

However, he did not win 10 professional races in his years as a British rider 1 MARK CAVENDISH 143 professional wins, 2007 to date 2007 – 11 Two Four Days of Dunkirk stages Two Tour of Catalonia stages Ster Elektrotoer stage Two Three Days of De Panne stages Scheldeprijs Vlaanderen Two Giro d’Italia stages Ster Elektrotoer stage Four Tour de France stages Three Tour of Ireland stages Three Tour of Missouri stages 2009 – 23 Two Tour of Qatar stages Two Tour of California stages Tirreno-Adriatico stage Two Three Days of De Panne stages Three Giro d’Italia stages Two Tour of Switzerland stages Six Tour de France stages Sparkasse Giro Two Tour of Missouri stages 2010 – 11 Five Tour de France stages Three Vuelta a Espana stages 2011 – 12 Two Giro d’Italia stages Five Tour de France stages Two Tour of Britain stages World Champion, road race (NB: Also won London Surrey Cycle Classic Olympic test event, not counted here as only ranked UCI 1.2

) 2012 – 15 Two Tour of Qatar stages Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne Three Giro d’Italia stages Ster ZLM Toer overall Three Tour de France stages Tour of Denmark stage Three Tour of Britain stages 2013 – 19 Tour de San Luis stage Four Tour of Qatar stages and overall Three Days of De Panne stage Five Giro d’Italia stages Two Tour de France stages National championship road race Three Tour of Britain stages 2014 – 11 Tour of the Algarve stage Tirreno-Adriatico stage Four Tour of Turkey stages Two Tour of California stages Tour de Suisse stage Two Tour du Poitou Charentes stages 2015 – 14 Tour de San Luis stage Two Dubai tour stages and overall Clasica de Almeria Three Tour of Turkey stages Four Tour of California stages Tour de France stage Tour of Qatar stage and overall Tour of Croatia stage Four Tour de France stages Two Abu Dhabi Tour stages 2 CHRIS BOARDMAN 41 professional wins, 1993 to 1999 1993 – 2 Tour de l’Oise stage Four Days of Dunkirk

 stage Dauphine Libere stage Four Days of Dunkirk stage Route du Sud stage Two Tour of Catalonia stages Dauphine Libere stage Two Tour of Catalonia stages Dauphine Libere prologue Tour de l’Ain stage 1999 – 4 38 professional wins, 2007 to date Chris Froome wins stage five of the 2016 Dauphine-Libere 2011 – 1 Tour of Oman stage and overall Tirreno-Adriatico stage Criterium International stage and overall Tour de Romandie stage and overall Criterium du Dauphine stage and overall Three Tour de France stages and overall 2014 – 6 Tour of Oman stage and overall Tour of Romandie stage and overall Two Criterium du Dauphine stages 2015 – 7 Ruta del Sol stage and overall Two Criterium du Dauphine stages and overall Tour de France stage and overall 2016 – 10 Herald Sun Tour stage and overall Tour de Romandie stage Criterium du Dauphine stage and overall Two Tour de France stages and overall Two Vuelta a España

 stages 4 BRADLEY WIGGINS 33 professional wins, 2003 to date 2003 – 1 Tour de l’Avenir stage 2005 – 2 Tour de l’Avenir stage 2007 – 3 Four Days of Dunkirk stage Dauphiné Libéré prologue Three Days of De Panne stage British National Time Trial Championships Herald Sun Tour stage and overall 2010 – 2 British National Time Trial Championships 2011 – 3 British National Road Race Championships 2012 – 10 Tour of the Algarve stage Paris-Nice stage Two Tour de Romandie stages Tour de Romandie overall Two Tour de France stages Tour de France overall Tour of Britain stage and overall 2014 – 3 Tour of California stage and overall Tour of Britain stage Three Days of De Panne stage 5= MALCOLM ELLIOTT 31 professional wins, 1987 to 95 1987 – 3 Kellogg’s Tour of Britain prologue Kellogg’s Tour of Britain stage Kellogg’s Tour of Britain overall 1989 – 9 Two

 Vuelta a Espana stages Two Castilla y Leon stages Tour of Galicia stage Kellogg’s Tour of Britain prologue 1990 – 9 Three Tour of the Americas stages Two Tour of Cantabria stages Two Tour of Catalonia stages Kellogg’s Tour of Britain stage Tour of the Basque Country stage 1991 – 1 Tour of the Mining Valleys stage 1993 – 2 31 professional wins, 1997 to 2014 1997 – 1 Tour de l’Avenir prologue 1998 – 3 Three Days of De Panne stage Tour de l’Avenir prologue Tour de l’Avenir stage 2000 – 2 Two Circuit de la Sarthe stages Circuit de la Sarthe overall Euzkal Bizicleta stage Three Days of West Flanders prologue Tour of Picardie overall Three Days of De Panne stage Three Days of De Panne overall Chrono des Herbiers 24 professional wins, 1959 to 1967 1959 – 5 Tour de l’Essor Breton stage Two Tour de l’Ouest stages

 Route de France stage Two Vuelta a Espana stages Tour of Sardinia stage 21 professional wins, 1964 to 1978 1964 – 3 Two Vuelta a Espana stages Midi Libre stage Rund um den Henninger Turm 1967 – 1 Two Tour de France stages Four Days of Dunkirk stage 1970 – 1 Four Days of Dunkirk stage 1971 – 1 Two Tour de France stages 1974 – 6 Four Days of Dunkirk stage 8= MICHAEL WRIGHT 21 professional wins, 1962 to 1973 1962 – 1 Two Vuelta a Espana stages 1969 – 7 Two Vuelta a Espana stages Tour of the Basque Country stage Two Tour du Nord stages Tour of Catalonia stage 21 professional wins, 1997 to 2012 Two Tour de l’Avenir stages Circuit de la Sarthe stage Tour of Aragon stage Two Tour of Portugal stages 2000 – 2 Australian National Championship road race Tour of the

 Mediterranean stage 2001 – 2 Tour of the Somme stage Circuit Franco-Belge stage Tour de la Region Wallonne stage 2007 – 1 GP d’Ouverture La Marseillaise 2008 – 1 16 professional wins, 1983 to 1995 1983 – 1 Tour of the Mediterranean stage Giro d’Italia stage Kellogg’s Tour of Britain overall 1990 – 2 14 professional wins, 1984 to 1994 1984 – 1 Four Days of Dunkirk prologue 1988 – 4 Two Tour of Belgium stages Tour of Belgium overall 13 professional wins, 2009 to date 2009 – 1 Tour de Picardie stage and overall 2011 – 5 Two Tour Down Under stages Vuelta a Castilla y Leon stage Tour de Romandie stage Two Tour of Poland stages 2014 – 2 Tour of the Basque Country stage Settimana Coppi e Bartali stage 2015 – 1 Settimana Coppi

 e Bartali stage 13= GERAINT THOMAS 13 professional wins, 2006 to present Fleche du Sud stage and overall 2010 – 1 Volta ao Algarve stage and overall E3 Harelbeke 11 professional wins, 1954 to 1961 1954 – 1 Tour de l’Aude stage Midi Libre stage 11 professional wins, 1996 to 2011 2000 – 2 Bradley Wiggins World Championship Time Trial ?

rob Sid barras Dave Given that Wiggins is approaching the end of his road, shouldn’t we give him full credit for his wins. I still don’t see his latest National TT win or his Olympic TT win. Also, why is Cav’s London Surrey classic win not counted? Yes it’s a 2.2 but then so are countles otehr wins listed for the guys above. Just one example would be Jeremy Hunt and Ben Swift Tour de Picardi wins. This is a worthwhile endeavor CW, so why not do it properly? Dave Does Thomas not now have 10 pro wins? Not sure if you count UCI 2.2 events or not and whether the CG road race counts (I think it should). Either way, he’s right around 10 wins. KJ Come on CW. You’ve updated for Cav at Poitou Charentes but still haven’t credited Wiggins for the British TT champs! KJ wiggins should now be in third place following his British TT win. I don’t see why the olympic TT doesn’t t count? Thanks Dave, you’re quite right. We’ve updated the piece, should filter through in next 20 minutes or so.

Dave Froome didn’t win the Tour of Turkey, Adam Yates did. Froome took Romandie though… Dave Isn’t it about time that Swifty gets credit for his two wins this year? df shouldn’t chris froome be on this list now. he has 7 or 8 just this year. stirlo That’s at least 9 now for Tiernan Locke, just this year. He won the Vuelta Ciclistia a Lyon in 2011 and the Ras in 2010. Those don’t appear on CW’s list of British pro wins in 2010 and 2011, but I’m not sure why not. Erick Rowsell was listed for his Tour de Normandie win which is as 2.2 like Tiernan-Locke’s 2010 and 2011 wins. So by my reckoning the little man has won 11 races already. Stirlo Has Jonathan Tiernan-Locke not won 10 pro races? I think he’s won 8 this year and had at least a couple in prior years.

I’m not talking about domestic events, but UCI classified events, mainly 2.2, but some 2.1s too. JD Actually this just shows how long the Brits ignored cycling for a generation – Malcom Elliot’s distinguished career would be celebrated today. It’s a scandal how we ignored such talented athletes. Harry C. Tenney Seems to me that you must not have any good professional female riders in your country as you don’t list any here. I believe that one of the commentators above made a very good point: Give the same coverage to your ladies there in the United Kingdom and you will see your sunscriptions grow. It’s beginning to show me why you British are not winning in many sports (tennis, cycling, football shooting, etc) anymore simply because everyone there is losing interest and it’s all male oriented. Get with the program and get creative or continue losing. A cyclist from El Paso, TX, USA Tim Dear CW, Please can the women be listed too? May I suggest one ‘greatest’ list for the men (as above) and a separate ‘greatest’ list for the women, both being updated as and when wins occur.

Thank you dan price If Robert Millar hadn”t been “jobbed” in the 85 Vuelta, he would be number 1 no doubt. Simply as the winner of a grand tour. He won the polka dot jersey & Giro Green jersey. 3 times he was runner up in a grand tour! You can”t compare his wins to a sprinter, they don”t win as much, its far harder to win in the mountains! No other Brit has been on the podium 3 times in a grand tour. Tommy Simpson would be number 2. Mike Typical of the Brit cycling fraternity. Cavendish, who incidentaly was informed early on, at at BC test day, that he would not make a pro cyclist as his “numbers” were not good enough, Is one of the worlds top cyclists. A multi Grand Tour stage winner and the only Englishman to ever win the Green jersey. He is still young in cycling terms but has already won the World road race championship and a one day monument, Milan San Remo. But stll there are those who want to bellitle what he has achieved. He has won more major pro races than any other British Male rider, end of story.

Why not just enjoy and support a world class rider rather than looking for ways to knock him? JD Robert Millar is hugely underrated but I’d still put him behind Cavendish – Cavendish not only has the most but they are of world-class quality – only Simpson comes close. Cav, Simpson and Robert Millar the the top three. J Dunn Robert Millar was our best GC, Simpson the best all-rounder. But no British rider has ever dominated a discipline like Cavendish. The Tour de France even modified their 2011 course to take acount of him – that’s never happened before. Lionel Birnie Jaybee, the Criterium du Dauphine is not a ‘criterium’. For the purposes of this article, the definition of a criterium is a short circuit race, often an exhibition race, which carries no UCI ranking points. In Belgium they are called ‘kermesses’. The Criterium du Dauphine is a major international stage race. Circuit races held on city centre circuits that form part of a UCI-ranked stage race (such as the London stage of the Tour of Britain) are counted.

The distinction between which races are included and which are not is quite clear. Jaybee You say that you have not considere criteriums; however, looking down the list I see a large number of crits have been included, culminating in Wiggins’ win at the Criterium (sic) de Dauphine. Worth revisiting your guidelines I think! Tim CW, this is a great article and I’m a huge fan but please, please, please can the same be done for the women each time the list is published for the men? It would be great to compare titles and wins. I totally agree with the ladies views in last week’s issue (and those above) and thanks for publishing them by the way. Women should be given the same exposure as the men. I really cannot fathom why they don’t get decent regular and continual column inches in any press, yet we have some of the most successful women in the world. Nice to see more female journalists too, thanks. I just wish cycling in general would move away from promoting itself as male only / dominated. Thank you.

PS: Tip; if CW and indeed the other IPC cycling mags covered women’s cycling to the same level as they do the men, that would be a huge selling point. Such a missed opportunity, I believe. Matt Overton Angharad, as the piece says: Who is Britain’s greatest *male* professional road racer of all time? The article was prompted by Wiggins gaining pink. anthony bowles Tommy Simpson won his world jersey by his go it alone tactics. Cippolini won with the backing of a very strong Italian team. I may be wrong but Cav will be lacking in both departments, but then again he has confounded most knowledgable critics. val Robert – 4th on the UCI world rankings list as at 10.8.09. Cav has 304 points behind Roman Kreuziger 310, Andy Schleck 334, and Contador on 527. just search: ‘cycling world rankings 2009’ and you should find the UCI site. Robert Now that he leads the British list, any idea where Cavendish comes in a world list of winners?

Lionel Birnie It’s a list of British male riders by the number of wins. Put very simply, Robert Millar is ninth because eight British riders achieved more race victories than him. This isn’t a subjective list. It’s a league table of pro wins. If you want to see CW’s British pro rider ranking go here: Angharad I agree with Robert Millar as the best of his day. But what about the highest ranked British rider now – Nicole Cooke, and Beryl Burton before her; or don’t women count? (Nothing new there then!) Angharad Chris I know who’s palmares I’d rather have.To me Robert Millar is our greatest roadman,followed by Mark Cavendish.It doesn’t matter which way you try and dress it up. lorry88 You forgot to put down one thing that you also included in the count. Whether the rider in question is male. This is a boys only list. On another forum they are asking the question – is road cycling racist. Cycling Weekly please ditch your ideas on the sexes that hark from the Victorian age and grow up.

Charlie Can’t believe you could rate it like this, Robert Millar was the most consistently placed british rider in Grand Tours for years, including 2nd in the Giro and Vuelta and 4th in the Tour along with KOM in numerous races. The ONLY British rider to have won the KOM in the Tour at 9th place? Have a word… Cycling Weekly's all-time ranking of British pro riders - Cycling Weekly What Category is the Tour of Britain Janet Mozelewski But that isn’t the point. It was one race and impressive though it was it remains one race. He isn’t higher than 16th because others have won more over time. That may change of course…but Yogi will have to win some bigger races to get the points on the board. hailpantani Wow! Watching the magistral way Stannard disposed of a triumvirate of Etixx riders after being worked over, particularly by Boonen and Terpstra in the last 5k, well, I think he should rate higher than 16th.

markholds In my opinion where this sort of ranking goes wrong (and the UCI World Tour does the same thing) is that it doesn’t pay enough attention to the fact that cycling is a typical example of a sport where ‘first is first,and second is nowhere.’ You only have to ask Cavendish what he thinks about coming second! I would never give 2nd more than half the points the winner gets, in any race. The current system puts Robert Millar above Tom Simpson, even though (much as I admire him) he didn’t get nearly as many prestigious wins. Stirlo You are absolutely right Dominic, Dowsett should be in. I think he has 125 points – those you mention above plus five for a win in stage 5 of the 2011 Tour du Poitou-Charentes et de la Vienne.

Dominic I’m curious has Alex Dowsett not even got enough points to be on the list yet won a stage at the giro – 30 points, 3 national time trial wins 30 more, 5 for completing the giro another 5 for a stage win in the tour of britain, 50 more for 8th in world time trial championships plus I’m pretty sure theres some more points knocking about and I’d expect him to move up this list with time Simon How are these scores calculated. If Froome wins the tour he has to be our greatest GC rider of all time. With a 1st (If he wins) at this years TDF plus 2nd last year. Also a 2nd at the Vuelta and a 4th at the Vuelta last year. Plus he has more stage wins at the tour than Wiggo which must also count for something. Has to be top 3??? stirlo spot on KJ. I think Stannard has 155 points. Nice to see Cav finally on top. I think he deserves it, At least until Wiggins fills out his resume a bit.

In all honesty though winning the Tour should carry more points than 250. KJ Cav should get 20 for second at Scheldeprijs Also Ian Stannard should be on the list – he has 120 points just from Milan Sanremo and his fourth at Paris Tours. Plus other points Rupert 2nd Stirlo Great to see Swift, Thomas and Cummings acknowledged, though I can’t work out where those exact scores come from for the life of me. Both Thomas and Swift are higher than I thought they’d be (given that Thomas was not listed before at all) and Cummings DEFINITELY has more than 105. I don’t think that 11th in the Olympic TT should be worth 25 points, but that’s what the scoring system says. When you add in a Vuelta stage win, a host of finishes in Grand Tour and a few stage and one-day wins along the way, it adds up to at least 125, and probably more depending on categorisation. Stirlo So now Thomas should certainly be on there having gained 35 points down under which puts him on a minimum of 120.

But then Cummings and Swift are still missing too. KC Should Wiggins points increase by 20 with his new TDF 2009 3rd placing? Stirlo Come on CW. that’s another 15 points for Cummings after Beijing. He’s on 140 now, get him and Swifty on the list! Stirlo I think I calculated he should be on 155, so definitely on the list. come on CW! KJ Yes Stirlo you’re right! Plus another 5 now for finishing the Vuelta. Stirlo Come on CW, where are Swift and Cummings. I’ve double checked and Swift has 155 points and Cummings 130. Give them their due! Stirlo Good spot KJ. I actually think he has more than that. I think you are missing teh 20 points for third in GC in the Tour Down under.

KJ I reckon Ben Swift also now has 125 points (5 15 point stage wins, 1 10 point stage win, 3 5 point stage wins, 1 10 point GC, plus finishes in Tour and Giro) Stirlo I think Steve Cummings must have moved onto the list today. By my calculations he has 125 points. Great effort Steve! Jafidler Seeing Robert Millar win in the mountains will remain my favourite memory in British Tour history because of the style, and the quality of opposition, but to see Brad take the yellow jersey is a monumental event that stands above everything Stirlo I think Wiggins pending victory in LeTour demonstrates that winning that event is undervalued in the scoring system above. At this point, I think there can little doubt that Wiggins should be in the top 2, and probably should be joined by Cav, given his monument, World championship and 22 Tour stages. 250 for a win, which is only 50 more than a World time trial title for example is very low. The 25 points a day for each yellow jersey compensates a little but the value of the yellow jersey depends on when you where it.

If you won the prologue and then wore the jersey for ten days but then dropped to 50th, you’d have as many points as if you took the lead on the final time trial and won the Tour. Clearly that is not right, and the fact that Boardman remains above Wiggins is good evidence of that problem. KJ I think you’ve missed one of Wiggins 25 points for being in yellow. Start of tour = 1320 50 points stage 9, 10 points prologue, 5 points stage 7, plus three days in yellow (after 7,8 and 9) = 75 total 140 140 plus 1320 = 1460, taking him past Hoban Max I know this is subjective and difficult to do, but then you are the experts, there is something that you haven’t taken into account is the notoriety of the rider and his effect on public opinion. Even though times were very different. Here, Simpson and Cavendish are way ahead of Robert Millar.

Ian Robert Millar should be No.1.Only Brit to win a proper race,a major tour.When Brad wins TDF,then he’ll be no.1.Otherwise,why categorise?Shows we’re desperate for results… Sandi Come on guys, Brad had a 4th too! – Let’s just sit back and watch him shoot up your rankings now – or better still, go over and cheer him on……….. Geoff Waters, Durban, SA PeterLB has a (debatable) point. Maybe the fault lies in the unqualified title. Alternatively, change/refine the criteria (no. of world titles; national titles; years in the sport…). The likes of Cav, Wiggins,Hoban and Simpson all began their careers as trackmen and oscillate(d) between the two. Did their becoming primarily pro roadmen mean that they became a totally different species? Whatever…thanks for the stimulating debate. Incidentally, since the pro-amateur distinction in cycling ceased in the 1990s are you not discussing an extinct species? PeterLB Geoff, how on earth can anyone rank road riders against track riders? It would be meaningless. They are completely different sports.

Geoff Waters, Durban, South Africs You have airbrushed track cyclists out of British cycling history. Reg who, you ask? Maybe its because today’s Brit bikie has been thoroughly brainwashed into believing Italo-French propaganda. How can EU pro road racing ever exemplify the individualistic British bulldog spirit? df could you also do a seperate list for active riders. df what betting, cav will be top by the end of the season. as long as he rides clear of ferrari. lol Neil I hate to set the cat amongst the pigeons here but should Tom Simpson even be on this list? The elephant sitting in the corner is his cheating; he was a notorious drug user. I hate to speak ill of the dead but it is well documented by his team mates just how many “preparations” he used to take before and during races not to mention the cocktail that lead to his death. Every one of his victories is tainted. JD Good list – got it about right I’d say. The golden generation should use it as motivation to climb higher in their own careers David It would be interesting to know what category some of the more modern pro tour races fall into. The Tour down Under and the Tour of Beijing for example.

In terms of UCI status they ought to be As but I would think C or perhaps B would be more realistic? paul Cant work out why Dave Millar’s had his results scrubbed off when Simpson was clearly “on-it” yet isn’t regarded as a cheat? At least cycling is cleaner (not totally clean) and that we can be fairly certain that the Sky riders at least, are clean. Is it a coincidence that countries like GB and France, with the most stringent doping regulations, are now doing so well? And that the powerhouses, like Italy, are not? Brilliant to see GB doing so well, amazing rise up the ranks, Bejing 2008 finally comes to fruition on the Pro scene. J Dunn There is a slight bias against Grand Tour stage wins in this calculation – 50 points per win sounds fair but Cavendish deserves a special bonus of at least 50 for winning so many of them so fast. He is. after all, one of the top stage winners in Le Tour of all time – that consistency takes some doing and seems under-rewarded. Dave Looks like Froome should now be on the list.

I think he has 235 points, 220 just from the Vuelta (175 for second, 30 for a stage and 15 for a day in red). And Wiggo is now up to 8th I think. Exciting times. Ochre Jersey The Tour Down Under is worth as many UCI Pro-Tour points as the Paris-Nice, so perhaps it should be ranked Category A! I’m hoping Wiggins can make history and win the Vuelta after his TDF crash. Cadel’s made history as first Australian TDF winner, and Cav first Green winner. Chris Hoy is undoubtably Britain’s greatest ever track cyclist, but the title ‘Pro’ is misleading, as this is road cycling only. Bobby I wondered why the stage/jersey winners in the Giro/Vuelta are valued so low. In the TdF and all the other categories points for between 4 and just over 5 stage wins equal the winners points whereas for the Giro/Vuelta it takes almost 7 stages.

Robert Millar’s KOM jersey in the Giro is worth 60% of the points awarded for the TdF Polka Dot jersey whereas the winner of the Giro/Vuelta is given 80% of the points for the TdF winner. Mark Cavendish’s performance this year with 5 stage wins and the Green Jersey is worth 20% more than the winner. Yet if he performed the same feat in the Giro/Vuelta he would only get the same points as the runner up. Surely this is inconsistant and either the Giro/Vuelta stage/jersey wins be increased to 40 points or the overall winners points reduced to 150. David So I guess I miss-categorised some of Thomas’ rides. We know he has 25 points from two Tour and one Giro finish. 30 points for 10th in Flanders, 10 for the national road race and 10 for second in a tour stage. So that’s 75. That leaves the Rundfahrt and perhaps second in Dwars de Vlaaderen.

If they were both category C races (tour and one-day respectively) then Thomas would have another 60 points and be on the list. If they were both D races, he’s just be at 85. Be interested to know, personally I think they should both be Cs, or at least the Vlaaderen which is a semi-classic. Either way, it won’t be too long before he makes the list, and Ben Swift can’t be far off either. I think he’s scored 60 points just this year assuming the Tour Down under is a C race which it ought to be given its world tour status. Dave The top 2 are correct definately, you only have to think what Simpson achieved and against the likes of Anquetil etc, Roberts’ list of performances is incredible when you look at it, remember this is the rider who as an amateur turned up at the British Road Race championships with the jersey he won the previous year so confident was he of winning a second time. I was privileged to follow him for the last lap in the I.O.M when he won the British Pro championship and it was a master class in riding.

Regarding Chris Boardman I was once asked by a retired Dutch Pro why we in the UK were so negative about him as in this guys opinion Boardman was grossly under rated and if his team required a change of focus from his forte then he could have applied himself and won some of the one day classics. David Would be nice to see an update of this. By my calculations Geraint Thomas now has 120 points depending on how one or two races are classified. David Millar must be closing on Hoban too. Garry Hendry Whether by design or by factual reality the outcome is pretty much what most people would have expected with Robert Millar and Tom Simpson coming out on top, and rightly so. Robert Millar, but for a couple of pieces of misfortune and niavety, could have been head and shoulders above everyone else. Chris Boardman being so high up the table was a bit of a suprise to me, respect due. The other thing that is worth taking into consideration is awarding points (somehow) for supporting others in winning i.e. domestique duties.

That would put Robert Millar further ahead and without doubt push Sean Yates and David Millar further up the table as well as recognising some of the other unsung riders. You ‘have’ to judge track separately and it’s easier, it’s all about wins e.g. World / Olympic medals. Andy What about the Vuelta? Simon Yates It seems unfair to limit this to the road only, with the notable exceptions of Obree, Hoy, Pendleton etc. Ken Evans The length of a career is an indication of the quality of the rider. Tommy Simpson, Max Sciandri, and David Millar, are the most complete all around riders listed. No mention is made if the results were dope tested, or obtained before good tests were available or made. Janh1 British male rider of all time shouldn’t exclude the trackstars… Hate to think of Sir Chris Hoy not even being considered. Baz Very interesting; just the thing for a winter’s evening. Of more pressing importance, whether we like it or not, are the Pro Tour points which largely determine how many riders we can send to the Worlds.

The latest UCI rankings (yes, I know, we all hate the UCI but they run the show) have us way down the list with far fewer points than post-tour last year and by far the majority of points we do have are courtesy of just two riders – Cav, of course, mainly for his five tour stage wins and Roger Hammond for his impressive early season classics campaign. Come on, guys, a few more points or there’ll only be two riders to form a train (assuming anybody can be persuaded to play that role). Tim This is excellent CW but please can we have the same for the women? Thank you. Stirlo I cna’t wrk out where Wiggins has won 160 points, at least before this year’s Tour. If he really had 160, comine diwth the 185 he picked up in France, that takes him to 12th already. And he will rise quickly on this ranking system. A few more top 10s in the Tour and he’ll be right up there.Would be nice to see an update of these rankings.

Mike Revill On actual results the rankings seem fair enough .People forget how consistent Robert Millar was over his career. No disrespect to Chris Boardman his achievements were fantastic,especially for a clean rider, however i think Barry Hoban should be ranked higher but that’s only my opinion. Regarding Mark Cavendish the world is his oyster, an awesome career ahead of him. Dick Phillips How can you call this an all time ranking of British Pro riders, when it is restricted to roadmen, and is only post-1945? Nothing wrong with the concept, but the title contradicrts the content.. Team Sky name six British riders but wait on Bradley Wiggins | Sport | The Guardian Team Sky name six British riders but wait on Bradley Wiggins • British team aim to win Tour 'clean' within five years • Wiggins may become available if Contador joins Garmin Bradley Wiggins, who finished fourth in this year's Tour de France, is contracted to Garmin-Slipstream.

Photograph: Stephane Mantey/AP Wednesday 9 September 2009 09.54 EDT First published on Wednesday 9 September 2009 09.54 EDT Close This article is 7 years old Team Sky have confirmed the first six signings for the squad which is being built for the 2010 Tour de France . Steve Cummings, Russell Downing, Chris Froome, Geraint Thomas, Peter Kennaugh and Ian Stannard are all British; confirmation of the first overseas riders will follow tomorrow. The team will be 25-strong, with the balance tilted, probably for the next two years, in favour of foreign riders. "There will definitely be another couple of British riders," said Dave Brailsford, the British Cycling performance director and principal of Team Sky , who described today's announcement as "a massive moment for us". Brailsford insisted that he was not in negotiations with the triple Olympic gold medallist Bradley Wiggins, who this summer equalled the best British performance in the Tour by finishing fourth.

Wiggins is under contract for 2010 to Garmin-Slipstream, though rumours persist that this situation could change, particularly if Alberto Contador of Spain, the 2009 Tour winner, is persuaded to join Garmin. Of the six riders named today, Downing is the surprise. The 31-year-old from Yorkshire is a fixture on the British domestic scene but opportunities on bigger stages appeared to have passed him by – visa problems meant he was unable to take up a contract with an American team in 2007 – until his recent win in the Tour of Ireland. Brailsford said Downing was "on the list from day one", with his performance in Ireland "cementing his place". Cummings, Kennaugh, Stannard and Thomas – the latter a team pursuit gold-medallist at the 2008 Beijing Olympics – are well known to Brailsford as products of the British Cycling academy. The 20-year old Kennaugh is tipped as a future star. Like Mark Cavendish, he comes from the Isle of Man. Brailsford said: "Our coaches are very excited about his potential.

At this moment he shows all the attributes to become one of the best riders we've ever produced. There must be something in the water over there." Cavendish, who has taken his season's tally to 23 wins this week with successes in the first two stages of the Tour of Missouri, is the other British star Team Sky would have liked to sign. He is under contract to the Columbia-HTC team. The sixth rider named, the Kenya-raised Froome, is a 24-year-old who switched to British citizenship last year and, according to Brailsford, is "a rough diamond". "He's a dedicated, bright, intelligent guy and the potential he has is incredible," said the team principal. Of the team's stated aim, to win the Tour de France with a "clean [drug-free] British rider" within five years, Brailsford said: "Two or three years ago people said it couldn't be done clean. I've had a lot of correspondence telling me I don't know what I'm talking about. But Brad's proven to the whole world what can be done, and done clean. I can vouch 100% for him.

It's a big, big ask, but I don't think anyone's saying it's impossible any more." It now remains to be seen whether Wiggins – the rider who appears to have the best chance of achieving that target – can be persuaded to come on board. BBC SPORT | Other sport... | Cycling | Cavendish eyes more Tour success Cavendish eyes more Tour success Hushovd beat Cavendish in the race for the green points jersey in 2009 British sprinter Mark Cavendish has earmarked eight stages as ones he could win in next year's Tour de France. The 24-year-old won an impressive six stages in 2009 to take his overall tally to 10 from three Tours. Cavendish, who rides for Team Columbia, said: "I counted five definite sprint stages I could win and maybe eight. "There are three in the opening week, so I'll try to grab as many wins as I can to get in the green jersey and then survive through weeks two and three." The Manx rider finished second behind Norway's Thor Hushovd in the race for the green jersey in 2009.

The jersey is awarded to the rider who accumulates the most points during the course of the race by winning stages and intermediate sprints and is usually won by a sprinter. Although Cavendish won six stages, including the final one in Paris, Hushovd proved more consistent in the mountain stages and intermediate sprints and triumphed by 10 points. Cavendish won four stages on the 2008 Tour before dropping out to concentrate on the Beijing Olympics. Bookmark with:

Question: Name the British cyclist who won 6 stages of the 2009 Tour de France.
Answer: MARK CAVENDISH